Shanna's Ark

I'm considering turning the barn into a boat. I think we are just about ready to float away. The only catch is that the barn doesn't hold 13 horses. Oh, and the fact that if I did turn the barn into a boat, I'd have a considerable leak to contend with. I'm starting to think we are going to float away. Maybe the two rounds of alfalfa bales will float away and we can use them as rafters.

The barn is completely flooded now. Every stall has water in it. I'm going to have to buy a number of additional tubs to keep the grain dry. Right now they are all sitting on pallets but I'm not sure how beet pulp handles in wet conditions. I don't want to experience a beet pulp explosion.

I didn't get a chance to clean out the barn this weekend so now everything is starting to get soggy. I need to work on cleaning out the barn and get everything moved over to the tack room. I'm sure that everything is going to start rusting soon if I don't move it over.

I just hope that we dont' get a cold snap. Then I'm going to be in a pickle. I'll have to set up stalls in the big shed instead. That's about the only place that's dry right now. I don't even feel comfortable running horses in the barn because of the water ice.

And speaking of pallets. Sunday we had a skunk decide to take up residence in the hay barn. I was rather distraught. I hate dealing with skunks. I can handle coons and possums a little bit better but skunks are just awful. So every time I'd walk into the hay barn on Sunday the hair on the back of my neck would stand up straight. Awful feeling.

Mike baited the trap but still nothing. Last night we had to run into town so I was late in getting to chores. Luckily Mike was with me, carrying a pistol just in case. We investigated the hay barn but nothing. So I went out to go start getting the hay ready, and THERE HE WAS, THE LITTLE STINKER! The skunk was in the small pen waddling away out to the pasture.

Thank goodness Mike had a pistol on him. I absolutely hate doing chores in the morning when I know there's some type of varmit around. Now all we have to deal with is the skunk body. It's been raining non-stop for 12 hours so I'm hoping the skunk spray will wash away. The smell wasn't too bad in the hay barn but since the skunk sprayed, I'm sure the hay shed will stink to high heaven. I think we'll leave the body in the pen for a few more days to help wash away the stench. It's supposed to rain from now until Saturday morning.

Aaah, the joys of country life: flooding barns, mud, and skunks.